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Beaumont and Beasley #6

The Hare and the Hatter

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The truth is finally revealed…

Crispin Beasley has an unusual relationship with time. When his strange powers grant him a terrifying vision of someone from his past, he reluctantly turns to the one person who may be able to help—the dragon Malcolm Blackfire.

Malcolm has an unusual relationship with morality, and his own past is beginning to catch up with him. When he realizes how grave Crispin’s predicament truly is, he joins forces with the young magician to uncover the truth about a mysterious threat facing the city of Talesend. Something strange is afoot at the studios of Harry March, an up-and-coming producer of animated films…and his newest employee is someone whom Malcolm and Crispin both know all too well.

The confrontation that results will test our unlikely heroes to their limits…and may destroy the future of the Afterlands completely. No matter what happens, one thing is certain—neither Crispin nor Malcolm will ever be the same again.

237 pages, ebook

Published December 2, 2022

1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read

About the author

Kyle Robert Shultz

41 books156 followers
Kyle Robert Shultz is the creator of the Aftermythos, an interconnected collection of stories set in an alternate universe where fairy tales and mythology are history. Shultz is a completely ordinary human being with no remarkable qualities whatsoever. Accounts suggesting that he is a dangerous wizard exiled from a parallel reality, a cleverly-disguised magical creature passing off the history of another world as original fiction, a mysterious trickster entity described in the folklore of a circumscribed region of Wales, or a pseudonym adopted by three talking otters stacked up in a trench coat should be dismissed as not entirely accurate.

Note: I'm not active on Goodreads, so I may not see messages or other notifications. I only use this profile for business, so don't be offended if I don't accept your friend request. If you want to get in touch with me, email me at kyle@aftermythos.com.

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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Amelie.
329 reviews61 followers
August 12, 2024
UPDATED AUGUST 12, 2024:

I have a considerable book hangover.

ORIGINAL REVIEW (first read December 25, 2022–five stars):

Pardon my incoherent screaming echoing through dimensions as I close this book and hug it tightly to my chest.

Revelations. Feels. Plot twists galore.

Masterful.
Profile Image for Christine Smith.
74 reviews87 followers
May 8, 2023
The newest installment of the Aftermythos books is HERE, and my excitement knows no bounds!

It is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Kyle Robert Shultz's Beaumont and Beasley series (and all the interconnecting books)—stories taking place in a 1920s-esque setting where fairy tales are the world's history and magic abounds. They are full of humor, timey-wimey plots, delightful characters, and clever twists on fairy tales. Basically...everything I love! So you can imagine my excitement when book #6 was announced!

And it DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT. It's hard to say anything about this book without spoiling things, but I shall endeavor to do my best!

This is a Crispin and Malcolm story, you guys! Dreams really do come true. Our dear Crispin and sarcastic, shapeshifting dragon Malcolm are BACK. And things are, well, not looking good.

Going back and forth between Crispin's and Malcolm's point-of-view, the story opens with a bang and hurdles us readers along for a wild, epic ride all the way to the end. It felt like every single page dropped yet more revelations that left me in a stunned state. Shultz held nothing back in this one! Okay, that's not true, there are still so many questions! But we got such a wide variety of reveals, I can't even be mad about all the new questions that cropped up.

This story leans into the timey-wimeyness that the last few books have been strongly hinting at, and I was HERE FOR IT. Time travel and wibbly-wobbly plots are my favorites. So I was soaking in every page. It was wild and complex and yet seamlessly done where I didn't get lost in all the intricacies. These books have a LOT going, but the author does an incredible job of keeping the narrative simple enough to follow along. It's a fantastic balance! I will forever be in awe at all the many, many interconnecting plots this series brings together. It is such fun and pure brilliance! And I feel like this story highlighted that more than any other.

It was an absolute and utter TREAT to have a Crispin- and Malcolm-centric story. The two fan-favorites working together?? YES PLEASE. The sheer amount of chaos and banter gave me life. But this story wasn't all just fun and games. Malcolm, as always, is holding back an absurd amount of secrets while Crispin is dealing with a lot. This story really dug into the struggles Crispin has been facing as well as touching on some Malcolm backstory, and there were FEELS. Many, many feels. The stakes really ramped up in this one and I don't know if I'll ever recover.

The whole plot itself was just such a fun, wild, feelsy romp. This time we're exploring Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan themes. And if you guys know me at all, you'll know those are some of my favorite stories of ALL TIME. To say I was thrilled is an understatement.

Seriously, this book felt catered to me. Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan threads? Crispin and Malcolm? Time travel? Feels mixed in with humor? All of my favorite things in one!

It was also a delight having some cameos from some familiar faces but also getting to know new ones. The young, eccentric businessman Harry March was particularly fun, and I am excited to see where his story goes. The story also highlighted a certain person who I didn't realize we'd get to meet but intrigued me GREATLY. I also quite liked how it took place in Talesend. It feels as though it's been a while since we've had a story that centers in Talesend itself.
And okay, but those EPILOGUE SCENES. I was practically screaming through each one. JUST. *flails*

THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH HERE, YOU GUYS. I want to scream about All The Things but I can't. Too many spoilers!

Let's just say it was one of the best Beaumont and Beasley installments yet, and if you've read all the Aftermythos books up to this point, YOU NEED THIS ONE. ASAP.

CONTENT CAUTIONS

These books are always refreshingly clean. This one touched a little on some child abuse, but nothing was ever shown and it handled it very delicately. There was a little bit of scary imagery but, again, all written in such a way that it kept things to a PG level.

These are very family-friendly books overall.

CONCLUSION

From the banger of an opening to the fun Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan threads to the timey-wimey plot to the REVEALS (so. many. reveals.), this one had me glued to the pages all the way through. It was such a delight returning to the Aftermythos world, and I cannot wait for the next installment!

If you're a fan of this series, you are not going to want to miss this one. It has everything we've been waiting for: Crispin, Malcolm, and REVEALS. This one was a true gift to all of us Aftermythos fans!
Profile Image for H.S. Kylian.
Author 13 books29 followers
December 7, 2022
*takes deep breath* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

ASDKFJLFHSKS

I CAN'T EVEN

KYLE YOU GENIUS

SDHFJKGHZDFKJGHA

HOW DOES HE DO THIS

EVERYTHING'S ALL TIMEY-WOBBLY-UPSIDE DOWN AND SIDEWAYS YET IT MAKES SENSE

ok so maybe I had trouble picturing Malcolm's timeline diagram thingy BUT

MY SHIP IS STILL ALIVE - well sorta but I can't say anything. Also there was definitely a reference to Walt Disney...

AFTERMYTHOS FANS YOU GOTTA READ THIS ASAP
Profile Image for EllieJellyBean :D.
70 reviews39 followers
March 16, 2023
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
WHAT IN THIS WORLD DID I JUST READ!!!!
😭😭😭😭😭😭
HEELPPPPP!!
It was sooo goooood in a very painful way!
😭😭😭😭😭😭
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!
NOW!!!!
Profile Image for Stargazer R. L..
103 reviews26 followers
December 6, 2022
Well. That was worth waiting for. o.o

CRISPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mAlCoLm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHATEVENJUSTHAPPENED.

This book:

a) The reveals though. :O

b) The characters. <3

c) THE PLOT TWISTS OF DOOOOOOOOOOM. X_X

Also featuring, SO MUCH STUFF, ACTUAL CRISPIN SCREEN TIME AND POV, ACTUAL MALCOLM SCREEN TIME AND POV, AND CAMEOS FROM WHERE? Also why is nothing with Molly ever okay? Hmm? *shakes head*

Also also, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT AND I NEED MORE NICK AND CORDELIA.

*exit pursued by neverwolves*
Profile Image for Tess.
257 reviews
December 7, 2022
WELL IT’S ABOUT TIME (the pun is completely intended)

Seriously though, I’ve been waiting for this book for like three years and I was so giddy today to realize that it’s finally released!

So much information to digest! So many revelations! Stuff I expected to learn, stuff I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT EXPECT TO LEARN but was thrilled to learn anyway. New characters, old characters, everything is all SO good

at this point in the series it’s so hard to talk much about the actual plot without spoiling everything and there’s so much going on that I can’t go into details about anything

However, Malcolm Blackfire is my favorite character and we learn so much and see so much and my favorite quote was from him, but all this to say that I adore his character, shortcomings aside.

and now, my favorite quote:

“To forgive is to remember…and to love in spite of it.”
Profile Image for Julia Garcia.
441 reviews73 followers
June 3, 2023
Once again, Shultz is an absolute genius! 💯 amazing book! Totally worth the wait.
Profile Image for Grace T.
1,001 reviews3 followers
January 23, 2023
(forgot to re-pause my Scribd subscription so here goes one month of seeing how much of my list on there I can charge through oops xD)

there was a new AHA moment every five sentences it felt like (i typed that as AAH the first go-round and to be fair that's not extremely wrong either) and sometimes i was beaming at old friends and sometimes i was squawking at kyle because how dare you pull that reveal off so tidily with all the proper foreshadowing AND YET SO UNEXPECTEDLY and sometimes i was just laughing because of COURSE malcolm is . also the most darling line of the whole thing was the one about

also "vampire queen Westenra" is making me even more nervous for that next Crocket/Crane installment and i have a desperately growing suspicion quincey is not fated to survive in the afterverse either (or to survive but at what cost). but that's neither here nor there.
Profile Image for Mary Emma Sivils.
Author 1 book62 followers
May 16, 2023
Excuse me, that ending should not be allowed! I need answers! I need reassurance! I need...

...the next book. 😩

What else is there to say?
I guess I can say if you like a fantasy story that will lure you in with quirky humor and great characters and then slowly tear you apart, please read this series.
Profile Image for Hannah Carter.
Author 47 books40 followers
December 11, 2022
Ahhh!! Where to begin?! This is quite possibly my favorite series of all time. As such, I will attempt to express my love in coherent words, instead of the incoherent screams I have been uttering since I found out this book was released.

This book picks up around where Hounds of Duville and the Gepetto Codex left off. I would highly recommend reading books 1-5 before you attempt this one, or else all the wonderful twists and turns won’t make sense to you, and trust me.
THERE ARE TRICKS AND TURNS AND THUS I CANNOT STOP SCREAMING.
Ahem. Back to coherency. (If possible.)

Our main narrators are Crispin and Malcolm, and the sole downfall of this book is that means there is an appalling lack of Cordelia in this book. But you can hardly fault a book with that, especially when there’s enough sarcasm and heart-gutting emotion and ANSWERS.
I won’t spoil anything, but as Crispin and Malcolm work together to try and investigate Harry March, the truth about so many things will come out. SO MANY THINGS. SO MANY CAMEOS. *cue more screaming*

So, read this book if you’re a fan of fairy tale retellings, hilarious wit, sarcasm, dragons, time travel, and good literature in general. If you’ve read all the other Beaumont & Beasley books, PICK THIS UP. It’s a wonderful continuation that will rip your heart out of your chest, stomp on it, and make you laugh while you cry. Or cry while you laugh. Either one. If you haven’t read any of the Beaumont & Beasley books, do yourself a favor and start at Beast of Talesend and work your way here. Trust me. It is worth it.

Now…I’m off to try and find a way to give myself Crispin’s powers so I can hop into the future, when Book 7 is released. Because HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL THEN WITH WHAT I JUST LEARNED?!
Profile Image for Bethany Kellam.
154 reviews1 follower
January 2, 2023
OH MY WORD

It’s safe to say I’ve been waiting for this book for a long time (almost three years!). The hype was real for this book, made even better by the surprise release while I was sitting in class.
Dear reader, I could not concentrate for the rest of that class. Still passed though. :)

Finally, we get a book from the perspective of Crispin, along with FINALLY GETTING ANSWERS ABOUT MALCOLM’S PAST.

It was everything I could have hoped for, along with the classic “Kyle puts big reveals in epilogues and we’re expected to just wait patiently for the next book to come out”.

Highly recommend this book, but if you’re reading this, you don’t need any convincing. Just buy it already. 😇
Profile Image for C.O. Bonham.
Author 15 books37 followers
January 24, 2025
The Hare and the Hatter is the sixth book in the very interconnected and highly addictive Aftermythos Universe. If you start with this book you will be very confused. I've read ALL the books and I still feel like I need to go back and reread them just to catch up. So many revelation revealed, yet so many questions remain to be answered.

Do not let the title fool you this is NOT an Alice in Wonderland retelling. You can't just pick it up and expect to know what's going on. START WITH BOOK ONE: The Beast of Talesend. You will thank me later.

Warnings aside: This book was amazing! As are all of the books from Kyle Robert Shultz, but this book in particular, does an outstanding job of tying together multiple plot threads.

I just wish this book was longer, or that there were more books. (Seriously! Where are the other books Kyle? The ending implies that there will be more books. Please write more books.

I need to know that Crispin is going to be okay.
69 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2024
just as entertaining as the first

The author continues to cleverly weave new versions of fairy tales while incorporating his old stories. Brilliant writing- I hope you enjoy as much as I did

And so please read them in order so you don’t get lost
Profile Image for deborah o'carroll.
499 reviews107 followers
April 3, 2023
The long-awaited next installment of Beaumont and Beasley did not disappoint! Being back in the Afterverse (that wonderful alternate-1920s setting with fairytales and mythology as history), this time with fan-favorites Crispin Beasley (time-travel and shenanigans) and Malcolm Blackfire (grumpy dragon extraordinaire) . . . WHAT IS NOT TO LOVE! Throw in some Wonderland and Peter Pan things, timey-wimey-ness, nonstop humor and banter, some truly astounding twists and reveals (WE LEARN THINGS, GUYS. :O), and a good dose of feels (in the best way), and you have a real winner. Plus, I mean, Crispin and Malcolm? As the narrators? How could it NOT be amazing! I love this book a lot. <3

(Note: As the Editor of the Aftermythos, it should be noted that I edited this book, so . . . call it bias if you will, but it is legit one of my top-favorite reads of last year and I absolutely adore it!)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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